1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tethering systems and, more particularly, to a system for securing articles that are commonly displayed and sold as pairs.
2. Background Art
Securing of portable articles continues to be a challenge worldwide. Theft of small articles becomes even more pervasive as small articles in many categories continue to become more expensive. For example, apparel items, such as shoes, continue to evolve and be made available in more expensive forms.
As shoes become more expensive, purveyors thereof are challenged to allow prospective customers to try the shoes on without significant interference by security components. At the same time, precautionary steps must be taken so that the shoes cannot be removed without detection from establishments at which they are displayed and offered for sale.
Even with less expensive shoe styles that normally do not warrant a significant security investment, progressive, and cumulatively significant, losses may be faced by businesses from other than theft. Typically, all styles of shoes are boxed in pairs and often displayed whereby boxes with many different sizes of shoes may be accessible to a potential consumer. It is not uncommon to see individuals trying on shoes and having multiple boxes opened at the same time so that a user can compare fit of different sizes. If the paired shoes are not attached, inevitably sizes will become mixed when re-boxed. Consumers may try on but a single shoe to make a purchasing decision. They may inadvertently pair that shoe with a mismatched size. Alternatively, consumers may actually have different size feet such that they purposefully match shoes of different size for maximum comfort. When the remaining inventory is re-boxed, business operators are left with mismatched pairs that cannot be sold. This may lead to disposal of potentially a large quantity of shoes over an inventory period.
While store personnel are commonly instructed to make certain shoes are properly matched at checkout locations, commonly this practice is not followed. This is particularly a problem at peak checkout times during which personnel may be reluctant to lengthen the checkout process for fear of aggravating the purchasers of the shoes as well as others waiting to check out.
To avoid mismatching and minimize the likelihood of unauthorized removal of shoes from businesses, it is known to incorporate cable-type security systems. One commonly used design employs a flexible metal cable that has at its one end a housing with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) component therein. The other end is designed to be releasably held in that housing to form a closed loop.
To assemble this system, the free end of the cable remote from the housing is directed through at least one eyelet on each of the paired shoes and directed into the housing. Through a conventional clutching arrangement, this press fitting will securely hold the cable end in the housing until it is released by authorized personnel. Typically, the clutch mechanism is released by a magnet that is routinely kept at checkout locations.
The looped cable prevents the shoes from being separated from each other. The length of the cable is ideally selected so that it can be conveniently stored in the typically dimensioned box for the shoes without crowding the box space. At the same time, the cable must be long enough to allow a prospective purchaser to try one or both of the shoes on to sense feel. The length of the cable inevitably becomes long enough that it must be wrapped or folded to be placed back in the box with the shoes. A significant bunching of the cable may detract from the appearance of the shoes as the lid is removed from the box to expose the same. A lengthy cable is also prone to becoming inadvertently knotted and/or entangled with one or both of the associated shoes.
The EAS component is one commonly used in retail establishments that interacts with a detector, typically at exits, to alert store personnel that the articles have moved in a certain manner, i.e., outside of a range, or past a detector, such as at exit locations. In this respect, the conventional security systems have been generally adequate.
However, assembly and disassembly of security systems utilizing tethers can be relatively inconvenient and time-consuming. To operatively set up the security system, the free end of the cable must be directed through eyelets on each of the shoes to allow the cable to be drawn substantially fully therethrough. The free end is then directed into the housing carrying the EAS component to fix the loop. There is a certain level of inconvenience associated with having to draw a relatively long length of the cable through the eyelets. Further, the sliding of the cable through the eyelets could damage the eyelets or produce unsightly marks on the shoes. The same problem is contended with at checkout, where store personnel separate the free end of the cable from the housing and then back the cable out of the shoe eyelets.
Delays at checkout become more significant since consumers may abort a sale if checkout lines and times become too long. Thus, all security systems are designed with the objective of having a minimal time requirement for removal.
While longer cables have certain advantages in terms of allowing the shoes to be separated to a greater degree when a consumer is testing the same, as noted above, a longer length of cable creates a design challenge. That is, the cable must be somehow compacted and pressed into the box with the shoes, preferably so that it does not tangle, do any damage to the shoes, or detract appreciably from the appearance of the shoes when they are boxed. In the case of a straight cable, the selected spacing between the pairs that is permitted effectively requires a relaxed cable length of twice that spacing distance, given the loop construction. This configuration thus creates a particular design challenge.
The above problems persist in the sale of footwear and are also encountered with other categories of goods—apparel and non-apparel. Many industries continues to seek out designs for security systems that allow consumers to make a substantially unencumbered inspection of articles while at the same time affording purveyors of these articles the peace of mind knowing that their goods are displayed in a visually appealing manner and are secured effectively against theft.